Divinations: The Tarot
information below makes up the 'chapter' on Tarot cards from the base text book for the Divinations class at Mischief Managed, including their history, uses and methodology. The information here comprises over a decade of real-world research and learning, and is gathered from innumerable sources - all are based on the standard understanding and uses of the Tarot, altered only to allow for the reality of magic in our Role Play world. Table of Contents *Chapter 1 - Introduction to Divination *Chapter 2 - Preparing and Opening the Mind's Eye *Chapter 3 - The Diviner's Tool Box **The Tarot **The Crystal Ball **Tassomancy **Palmistry **Astrology **Numerology & The I-Ching **Dream Interpretation *Index/Glossary Introduction to the Tarot History Theory & Uses The Magic of Tarot The Tarot, Muggle Psykolegy & Why it Works The Deck and You: Foundation Building In this section we will explore how to acquire, care for and bond with your own Tarot card deck. Because of the subtlety of the magics involved, choosing a deck and working to build a proper magical connection, or bond with the cards becomes increasingly important, the more you desire to achieve with them. For students only interested in passing the class no doubt it will make little difference, but for those who truly wish to be able to achieve successful readings at a rate better than mere chance (which is the level of a muggle using the cards), it would be best to follow these instructions and take the ritual of bonding and imbuing your magic to the cards seriously. Choosing a Deck There are countless different styles and types of decks, from the most well known modern-era decks and standard Tarot, to decks with themes such as the Fairy Oracul Tarot, Moon Tarot and the Dragon Tarot. Each deck offers its own interpretation on the major and minor arcana, and can range from the standard 52 card deck to the more versatile 72 card decks. The artwork in each type of deck also plays a large part, as our interpretations are based on that imagery. While the general base for each card in the deck is standard in it's purpose and basic meaning, the variance in available information in each card's imagery will offer completely different results, so for this reason many users of Tarot tend to acquire more than one deck over their life time. While many different superstitions have arisen in the muggle world regarding how a deck may be acquired (such as the totally ludicrous concept that the deck will not function if you buy it for yourself...) the truth is that you need only take your time to peruse and physically handle and learn about each deck, until you find the one that feels best in terms of tactile touch and comfort while you handle them. This is the subtle sensation of a deck accepting your magic; if a deck feels sharp at any point (including at the corners, if your skin catches on it) or for any reason you do not feel comfortable with the cards, this is not the deck for you. No matter how you like the imagery, if the cards do not feel as though you could use them, they will not work. In much the same way a wand must choose its master, so too must the cards. Here are some signs that the cards in your hands are not the correct ones for you: * You find you acquire little paper cuts after handling them more times than not. * You find your fingers and palms always somehow manage to find the sharpest edges of the cards. * You can't handle the cards without noticing at least one sharp edge or some discomfort in your hands, even in passing, at least once every time you first pick them up or begin to handle/shuffle the deck. * You have an over-abundance of difficulties interpreting anything from them, as if the 'words simply won't come'. * You feel uneasy, unhappy, or in any way inexplicably negative whenever you handle them. * You find that the readings you do complete tend to be more balanced on the negative side (IE, no matter who you read for, the cards always seem to come up in reversed or sideways positions, or the cards that come up always seem to be the same portents of negative events). * You feel sick when you touch them. ... And here are some signs that the cards are either Neutral (you can win them) or Accepting of you: * They feel comfortable to hold in general. * You don't notice the edges at all, even on cards without rounded or beveled corners. * (If the cards accept you) You find that interpretations come easily; "The words just came, I knew this card meant 'love, compassion and kindness' as your past without stretching myself!" * (If the cards accept you) You feel comforted when you shuffle them, or can comfort yourself by handling them. * You feel calm whenever you begin the ritual of reading or handling them. If you don't immediately 'click' with your deck, but feel no negatives from the first list above have happened, then the cards may simply be at a 'neutral' or 'null' state, waiting to either accept or reject you based on how your energies mixed. That usually means the deck itself needs more time to sponge up your magic, or the deck itself, much like with certain wands, may simply be the sort of neutral deck which can be used by anyone; many of the decks used in schools have become like this over the years as generations of students have handled and worked with them, but new decks and old decks which have been isolated for many years can also hold this kind of neutrality. The only way to know which kind of 'neutral' your new deck may be is to handle it and treat it as if it may be accepting, and wait to see if it does. If your deck does not accept you, or you find yourself with one which has rejected you, fear not; simply go back out and try a new one, or exchange it with a friend who's deck has done the same to them. The fact that you may need to attempt having more than one deck or go through many decks to find the right one may sound irritating, but the results make it worth the effort to find and bond to the right deck of cards; remember, it's all about listening to your instinctual magic and senses for those signs! 'Old' vs. 'New' Decks & Muggle vs. Magical Decks * Old Decks - There are several benefits to having an old deck as opposed to a new deck. Old decks are usually those that have been used by a diviner for some time and are passed from mentor to apprentice, but can be acquired from any where (like yard sales, flea markets, second hand stores). Because these decks have likely been reused by several generations, handled by others and imbued with such a variance of energies it can make them more likely to accept anyone as a handler, making them versatile and useful as a learning tool. While they lack the ability to bond 100% with their user, they often come as 'neutral' and that means there is less of a chance of rejection. The downsides to this are that they may have bonded with another and, should you attempt to read for them, this may alter or influence your readings. Another problem is that because so many different energies and people have handled them, they cannot reach the same depth for self-aimed readings or empathic readings as a fully-bonded 'new' deck may. This means that your readings for certain issues may or may not be influenced or altered; since there is no way to tell what is and is not being influenced in this manner, it's a roll of the dice every time you read your cards. However, as learning tools an old deck is usually the best starting point, and the easiest to begin with. * New Decks - New decks come pristine, usually sealed in plastics or silks/velvets in order to keep other energies from mixing with them. While this may increase the odds that the deck will reject you, it also means there is no previous energy or bonds to contend with. The cards are 100% yours to bond with and build energy in, which (so long as the cards are either neutral or accepting) makes the bonding process exponentially faster and more efficient, resulting in the ability to do deeper and more accurate readings free from influences other than the magics involved between you and the cards. * Muggle/Magical Decks - It is a misconception that 'muggle' made decks are in any way inferior to those made by the magical community. The cards themselves, the physical properties, are not actually special; the cards are usually made of simple materials such as thick-weight high-grade cardboards and paints/plastics. The imagery, however, in muggle decks can vary far greater than those in the magical decks, and the muggles have even spread out to add more variety into their decks, including making themed decks such as 'medieval cats in costumes' and 'Doctor Who?'. The base meanings and imagery necessary, however, is still the same as decks made by the magical community, they just have different interpretive variations. If you wanted that deck from the muggle shop but refrained from purchasing it because you didn't think they would work, you may now return and add them to your collection. Even 'magical' decks strive to limit the amount of magics added to the cards, as spells and enchantments will interfere with the subtle interplay between your personal magic and that from which the information you seek is coming. There have been attempts to create decks with moving portraits, but you will note that these are not used anywhere and are not the norm; this is because to enchant the cards in this way has profound effect on the way your magic will react when it meets the cards and their permanent enchantments. For this reason, it is not only possible but encouraged for the new user to consider one day making their own deck, to progress to better understanding of the cards imagery and meanings (after all, no magic is needed or normally used in their creation, save for the standard duplication spells for production purposes). 'Bonding' Bonding with your new deck is a simple way of saying "spend a lot of time together and handle them". You needn't do anything complicated, the goal is only to familiarize yourself with the deck, and to imbue your natural magical energies and properties into the card, in the same way you have your wand (by carrying it around and using it, learning to see it as a third arm). To bond with the Tarot, simply keep them with you at all times, preferably ON your person, for the first few months. Sleep with them under your pillow at night, and whenever your hands are not busy, whenever you need to fidget, take them out and shuffle them. By doing these things you will naturally transfer (in the same manner you transfer oils from your physical hands) the excess magical energies you produce and usually drain off into the ground as you walk or into the air when you sleep into the cards themselves, building up the necessary connection between you and the cards by storing that energy there. Later, when you use the cards, that energy will return to you completing the connection and allowing the cards a medium for connecting you to the magic that allows us to read more accurately than by chance. Think of this as a circle which you begin by first imbuing the card with magic, then returning to that point of conclusion and restarting all over again with each reading. For more in-depth understanding on how this works and the theories behind the magic, return to the above section entitled Theory and Uses. Maintenance Storage Methodology The following is a Step-by-Step outline for how to read the cards. Steps which may have alternatives or alterations (which are commonly used) will have the additional step in italics following an asterisk ( * ). Keep in mind that while this is the guide to reading the Tarot as taught in class, many Diviners will find their own alterations and peculiarities that better enable them towards success. As with anything in divinations, it is best to try all ''the available options at least once to see what works for you personally! For further information on the different arrangements and what each does, please see the next section: 'Standard Reading Formations'.'' # Shuffle the deck* # Cut the deck* # Reshuffle and deal the cards* # Turn over each card, one at a time, starting from the first card (#1), check the section below to see which order you turn them over in for each as it differs based on the arrangement. Each card must be deliberated on, interpreted and considered before the next card may be turned over. # Consider the individual card meanings with regards to their position (is the card reversed or upright before you? What position in the arrangement is it in, and what does that position represent (past, present, future, relationships...) # Consider the entire message from the reading - add all the individual cards interpretations together, and see what over-all message the reading is providing to you. Reading the Tarot: Positions & Negative vs. Positive Attributes Reading the tarot cards can be fairly complicated if you are trying to simply jump in to the middle. Unlike the kinds of magic that require direct use of our energy and will to function, the tarot is a far more subtle process, often appearing to require no magic at all. In fact, it is possible to arrive at the right conclusions to a reading without ever using magic at all, as discussed in the previous sections. In this section we will cover the more specific methods for reading the cards, and HOW to do it specifically (instead of simply copying the interpretations of the textbook) on your own as full diviners do. This section will lead into the section below outlining the positioning of cards for different arrangements, called "spreads". Standard Reading Formations Three Card Spread Five Card Spread Celtic Cross Spread The Mandala Spread Card Directory Major Arcana Minor Arcana Vocabulary * 'Spread' - An arrangement of cards on a flat surface used to guide the information being interpreted from the cards. Usually each card in a 'spread' is numbered and placed in order, face down, awaiting its turn to be read, with each position of the card and rotation (upright, upside down, on it's side, and which number it corresponds to in the arrangement) having greater meaning to form the base of what information is being looked for.